Misleading greyhound figures still being fed to NSW public

THE New South Wales Government is spreading an anti-greyhound racing campaign across a variety of media outlets, leaving participants angry about ‘not getting a fair go'.

In a blatant attempt to justify shutting down greyhound racing to an enraged public, the campaign includes full page notices in the Daily Telegraph, as well as radio advertisements.

While many in the industry have acknowledged the wrongdoings of the past, the campaign has further enraged a devastated greyhound community, with many of the facts being advertised coming from the McHugh report released last month, which now has serious questions surrounding its accuracy.

NSW Greyhound Breeders Owners and Trainers Association (GBOTA) CEO Brenton Scott told The Guardian Australia earlier this week he believes the campaigns are a misuse of taxpayer money.

“I cannot recall a Government ever using public funds to protest against a community like ours in this way,” Scott said.

“We have every right to be stating our position for maintaining the industry, and for the Government to use public funds to come out and reinforce information which we have said is false is outlandish, outrageous and unprecedented.”

The print and radio promotions both state that up to 70 per cent of greyhounds are deemed wastage by the industry and 4074 dogs are ‘slaughtered' each year. However, figures from the NSW Greyhound Racing Industry show the actual amount is less than 10 per cent of that inflated amount.

Greyhound (GRNSW) figures submitted to the Special Commission of indicated only 6.9 per cent of greyhounds are unnecessarily, humanely euthanised, with other allocations of dogs being 55.4 per cent remaining with owners/trainers or being re-homed, 12.7 per cent humanely euthanised due to injury or illness and 25 per cent dying from natural causes.

Greyhound infographic The Government further demonised the industry by stating that, due to it's systemic cruelty, greyhound racing is only legal in eight countries, with the majority of the states in the US having imposed a ban.

Once again, this information is incorrect, with Australian Racing Greyhound's Duncan Stearn clarifying that there has never been a time where the majority of the USA conducted greyhound racing, while he also highlighted that only two states from 50 have outlawed the sport – Idaho and Arizona.

This information was further supported by the Alliance, which sourced it from Gary Guccione, Executive Director of the USA Greyhound Association.

Furthermore, the NSW Greyhound Racing Industry Alliance clarified following the first print advertisement that greyhound racing is legal worldwide – with only the two aforementioned American states having imposed a ban.

The Government's campaign also states the average life of a racing greyhound is 1.5 years compared with nine years for a pet greyhound.

Participants on social media declared this comment was made despite the fact dogs are not able to commence racing until they are at least 16 months of age, with many continuing their careers until after four. The Alliance noted that a high number of greyhounds live happy and full lives post-racing, with dogs commonly living well into their ‘teen' years.

Despite the campaigns also declaring that rabbits, pigs and possums are subjected to live baiting, the Alliance has indicated that the industry has zero tolerance for the abhorrent practice, with those found guilty of live baiting receiving life bans from the sport.

The main smoking gun used by the , a report by ABC's Four Corners program, resulted in very little action taken against live baiters because footage taken had been done so illegally. The people shown in the tape are unable to be persecuted because of surveillance and privacy laws in NSW.

Greyhound racing enthusiasts are to have these laws changed so those who are found to be doing the wrong thing can be prosecuted, rather than ostracised publicly, before ultimately not being charged with any offences.

Prominent broadcaster was quick to slam the Premier for focusing on rumours that live baiting still exists within the industry, calling for enhanced laws to enable authorities to catch and persecute those engaging in the activity.

“Yes it's horrendous, yes it's dreadful, yes it shouldn't have happened, but there has been no opportunity for Greyhound Racing New South Wales because of under the Surveillance Act 2005 to remove these people from greyhound racing,” Hadley said on 2GB.

“[Mike Baird] could change that with the snap of a finger and give them the power to get rid of the cheats and the thieves and the hoons from the industry and leave the 80-90-95% of decent people to get on with their lives – but that doesn't suit his agenda.”

The advertisements also proclaimed that 136 greyhounds die each year while racing, but according to GRNSW's Quarterly Greyhound Racing Injury Report, only two greyhounds suffered catastrophic injuries while racing between January 1, 2016, and March 31, 2016, and were deceased or required euthanasia.

Additionally, the campaign claims that one in five greyhounds are injured throughout their careers, however in the same time period mentioned above the injury rate was 11.2 per cent. This includes minor issues such as small nicks, and muscle strain – common injuries which are sustained by greyhounds on and off the track as a result of them reaching speeds of up to 70 kilometres per hour.

The Government has attained its information for the campaigns from the Special Commission of Inquiry report tabled by Justice Michael McHugh, despite serious doubts emerging about its accuracy.

Subsequently, the NSW Greyhound Racing Industry Alliance has made an application to the NSW Supreme Court in order to have the document declared invalid.

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Deborah555
Deborah555
7 years ago

Baird’s desperation to “win” has now seen him prepared to squander the tax payers money taking out advertisements. Surely this money could be better spent on education or health. A serious ego seriously out of control advertising the fact using the public purse.

Jason Caley
Jason Caley
7 years ago

Irrespective of whether the report is flawed or not, there is no precedent for the concept of ‘social licence’. It holds no legal definition nor any common law interpretation. At the end of the day there are two outcomes from the challenge: Outcome 1 – The report from the special commission of inquiry is seen as flawed/inaccurate/biased and invalidated. If not Outcome 1, then Outcome 2 – that Recommendation 1 in the (if judged to be valid) report is invalid meaning that the other recommendations 2-79 hold weight. If the report is valid, then the first recommendation is invalid or… Read more »

JeffWhite4
JeffWhite4
7 years ago

The racing industry does NOT have accurate statistics on the lives of their greyhounds. They have never tracked them from “cradle to grave”. All they have are whelping and litter data, registration and naming figures, on-track injury and death data (the latter being highly suspect because of the historical lack of transparency and honesty in the stewards’ reports), and data from their own tiny adoption program. Everything else is from self-reported (and self-serving) data from non-scientific surveys of industry participants.  One need only consider the laughable (and purportedly accurate to one decimal point!) “statistic” that 55.4 per cent of greyhounds… Read more »

JeffWhite4
JeffWhite4
7 years ago

Jason Caley Read the McHugh Commission report for a discussion and explanation of the concept of social licence. It is widely and wrongly believed that McHugh made a legal “finding” that the greyhound racing industry had lost its social licence, but he did not do that. He expressly left it up to the NSW legislators to decide that issue, in his first Recommendation. Social licence is not a legal concept but a political, social, and moral one. It is properly a matter to be applied by elected legislators in forming social policy. And that is exactly what the NSW legislators… Read more »

dogem53
dogem53
7 years ago

HEDLEY THOMAS National Chief CorrespondentBrisbane The Baird government’s public inquiry into greyhound racing did not publicly examine, display or report on work by a senior professor who documented a model he says would have cut animal “wastage” to almost zero. The inquiry relied instead on a different model from Greyhound Racing NSW, which is regarded by its own staff as having “run dead” under Premier Mike Baird’s interim appointee as chief executive for the past 16 months, Paul Newson. Percy Allan, an economist, the state’s former secretary of the Treasury and the chairman of GRNSW for nine years until 2012,… Read more »

dogem53
dogem53
7 years ago

JeffWhite4 ..STRAIGHT AWAY,YOUR ARGUMENT IS SO FLAWED. DO NOT NEED TO GO ANY FURTHER READING THAT JIBBERISH,BECAUSE YOU HAVE AGREED THERE IS NO ACCURATE FIGURES BY GRNSW. because there was no figures kept for the point you are trying to base your EXPERT THEORIES ON. do I need to repeat myself? so, if we don’t have those types of figures, NEITHER DOES ANY ONE ELSE SON………..so,the groups like you participate with,get out the ABACUS and ask your kids to TRY AND CALCULATE A GUESTIMATE FIGURE SO YOU CAN BIG NOTE YOURSELF AND MAKE RIDICULOUS PREDICTIONS. start thinking with your brain fool,not… Read more »

dogem53
dogem53
7 years ago

JeffWhite4 QUOTE…………. ”…………….. ”and data from their own tiny adoption program”………………….. SO I SEE THIS AS SELECTIVE PICKING JEFF. one minute you are discussing AUSTRALIA WIDE FIGURES,now you have narrowed down the ADOPTION PROGRAM to only,i would suggest you are refering to NSW(yes u are)..yep selective figures . would you like to clarify are you debating about AUSTRALIA WIDE,or basing ya crap on just one state? BUT REMEMBER TO BASE WHATEVER YOU ARE TRYING TO GET ACROSS AS ALL OR ONE……..simplistic question one would think. AND AS FAR AS YOUR PUTTY MADE ARGUMENTS ABOUT USA STATS ETC;, BASE YOUR ARGUMENT… Read more »

dogem53
dogem53
7 years ago

JeffWhite4 Jason Caley CHRIST YOU ARE DUMB AND BLIND. THE REPORT IS A KIDS ESSAY WRITTEN BY A RETIRED 83y.o  WHO WAS DRAGGED KICKING OUT OF HIS COMFORTABLE OLD TIMERS HOME TO APPEAR FOR A FEW MILLION POCKET MONEY,AND A QC WHO HAS NOT SURFACED SINCE AND WHOSE SOLE INTENT WAS TO GET IT SHUT DOWN,IN CONJUNCTION WITH A CORRUPTED DAYDREAMING PREMIER DREAMING OF BEING KIM YUN,LEADING A MINSTERS LIFE IN AN ANGLICAN CHURCH,THAT IS INFAMOUS FOR SEXUAL MOLESTATION,AND HAVING FOR HIS FRIENDS,A DOG PUMPING SEX PERVERT…………well, I believe in the TOOTH FAIRY as well. THIS KILLS HARRY POTTER AND LORD OF THE… Read more »

John Tracey
John Tracey
7 years ago

JeffWhite4 Jason Caley Exactly the issue, _”Social licence is not a legal concept but a political, social and moral one” not a criminal matter and even a civil law matter. The Government has the power under existing legislation to cancel racecourse licences and expose themselves to adequate compensation so why did they not go down this line instead of belittling and penalising a lot of decent citizens?. This dog’s breakfast has been caused by the Premier jumping the gun and convincing his cabinet to support him. A special commission of enquiry and or a Royal commission can shine  light on dark… Read more »

Deborah555
Deborah555
7 years ago

Well hasn’t our Jeff worked himself up – must have spent Friday night entertaining his “intellectual” friends who were actually getting a bit annoyed with his obsession  because they wanted to talk about how much more their house in Sydney was worth now. Yes after knocking back some expensive wine fear that bogans might be about to take over the world  and the horror that these people might actually get justice, started to take over his mind. Well fear of a lower class rising has seen him  consulting  chapters 2,3 and 4 of the draft of his new book “Jeff’s Freaking… Read more »

John Tracey
John Tracey
7 years ago

dogem53 JeffWhite4 Jason Caley Dogem53. Understand that you are stretching the envelope on poetic licence but can  we have the film rights or could we to make an opera out of your post. At least can we put it to music. great satire but from the point of a factual check I think that the Judge is 80 only, I would accept the replacement of 83 yo with Octogenarian. Maybe I am a bit sensitive as I am approaching this age myself. The person you refer to as the AA founder was he n last Mondays QA on the ABC. (There was… Read more »

Deborah555
Deborah555
7 years ago

dogem53 JeffWhite4 Jason Caley  McHugh made 80 recommendations and only one was to shut down the industry. The fact he bothered to outline 79 ways to improve the industry suggests he was being reasonable, even suggesting a greater share of the TAB go to the greyhounds he also had had the decency to admit to errors which shows a certain strength of character.  I think Baird just used him as well. Rushton on the other hand who was really running the show and interestingly nowhere to be seen lately, is a whole different matter. I believe I have already outlined my views… Read more »

dogem53
dogem53
7 years ago

The Australian12:00AM August 6, 2016 HEDLEY THOMAS National Chief Correspondent Brisbane The Baird government’s public inquiry into greyhound racing did not publicly examine, display or report on work by a senior professor who documented a model he says would have cut animal “wastage” to almost zero. The inquiry relied instead on a different model from Greyhound Racing NSW, which is regarded by its own staff as having “run dead” under Premier Mike Baird’s interim appointee as chief executive for the past 16 months, Paul Newson. Percy Allan, an economist, the state’s former secretary of the Treasury and the chairman of… Read more »

dogem53
dogem53
7 years ago

Deborah555 ABSOLUTELY BORED WITH HIS SAME DIRECTION. IT HAS NO BASIS,NO IMPETUS,NO REAL FACTS,AND ITS NOW RUNNING OUT OF STEAM.

IT IS ONE THING FOR SURE THOUGH……*********BORING************

dogem53
dogem53
7 years ago

John Tracey dogem53 JeffWhite4 Jason Caley LOL………my humblest apologies JOHN. no way would I put-down oldies,i am heading very quickly in that direction myself,but plenty of tongue in cheek satire aimed at as much mass destruction as I can conjure up JOHN.

MOVIE RIGHTS,ANOTHER ISSUE.

we certainly could make one and call it CONNECTIONS!!!!!

Deborah555
Deborah555
7 years ago

JeffWhite4 Jason Caley  Jeff why don’t you read the other 79 recommendations McHugh outlined to make the industry viable into the future -you just cannot seem to get past recommendation one. McHugh is a retired high court judge he would NEVER have made any suggestion he had made a legal “finding” As for widely and wrongly believed by who? You appear to be just making this up as you go along. I am sure McHugh is well aware of the concept of separation of powers and given this was not a High Court decision made by the full bench of judges, it was a special (very special) commission… Read more »

Deborah555
Deborah555
7 years ago

dogem53 John Tracey JeffWhite4 Jason Caley  What’s the story line for Connections dogem53- humble premier haunted by visions of rabbit on lure ( and checking with a junior staffer on how to spell compassion for a press release)  decides that his only solution is to sell every income generating asset in NSW, cut funding to health and education, fail to consult any of his backbenchers, take the  view that separation of powers means he has all the power and then when questioned spends public money taking out ads? or is more a Disney type theme. Four goofy dog pals the red setter from… Read more »

John Tracey
John Tracey
7 years ago

Deborah555 dogem53 John Tracey JeffWhite4 Jason Caley It is limitless but we need to tie doggem53 to contracts because the Premiers department will be headhunting him to run their class war.LOL On a more serious note I contribute to a gazette that encourages creative writing by suggesting a word and asking subscribers to write or draw a response. The word this month is POWER. I will ask them to put up the word FREEDOM and if it is alright I will forward dogem’s post to them. The publication is done in Melbourne and they are not generally as robust as us but they might… Read more »

Deborah555
Deborah555
7 years ago

John Tracey Deborah555 dogem53 JeffWhite4 Jason Caley  John good idea with the contract, great idea with the submission as long as Dogem53 is okay about it and I was not aware of the derivation of the word freedom and I found it interesting to know that -thanks.

John Tracey
John Tracey
7 years ago

Deborah555  John Tracey dogem53 JeffWhite4 Jason Caley  Thanks Deborah the history research on the book we are producing on th greyhounds briefly goes to pick up the original companion dogs at the same time the middle english and old English word for freedom is evolving it meant mainly freedom from slavery and then Freedom from obligation to the landholder (Norman Conquest) and today it includes et al. freedom of speech, freedom to access information and freedom of equal opportunity et al. If your interested further there is a good account n Google. My uncle was a specialist in

Etymology  but unfortunately he has passed.

dogem53
dogem53
7 years ago

Deborah555 dogem53 John Tracey JeffWhite4 Jason Caley EXQUISITE TASTE THERE DEB.well thought out, gives me an idea for a further attack using (IN A WHISPER TONE) DOGGIE AMMUNITION….A VERY POPULAR TOPIC AMONG AA PEOPLE,BUT KEEP IT UNDER YOUR WIG….OOPS,HAT.

dogem53
dogem53
7 years ago

John Tracey Deborah555 dogem53 JeffWhite4 Jason Caley JOHN.

SHOW ME THE MONEY CLAUSE…………..LOL

by all means john,a bit of banter among friends never hurt anyone.

some will sook up,but we get the gist hey.

one rule though JOHN…….NOW WAY TOM CRUISE ROLES ME……NO WAY…..A SCIENTOLOGIST AND ME,NEVER ON SON. MIGHT AS WELL HAVE ME EATEN BY LIONS THAN ASSOCIATE WITH THAT …..WELL LETS JUST SAY, PERSON.

CRIKEY, I AM GETTING EGOTISTIC AS MR. KIM YUN BAIRD……I AM AFFECTED BY ALL THIS GLITZ AND GLAMOUR AND TALK OF MILLIONS……BAIRDY BOY,MATE, GOT A FEW MILLION TO THROW MY WAY?

YOU GIVE IT TO EVERYONE ELSE,WHY NOT ME……….PLEASE!!!!

dogem53
dogem53
7 years ago

COMMENT NEEDING ASSESSMENT……………. JOHN/DEB,AND ANYONE ELSE FOR THAT MATTER. I am reading on GDATA some violent words in regards to lack of support by the group set up to be the voice of the industry.(BRENT SCOTT’S UNITY) what I see as totally wrong in some of the posters topics,is the continual concern of what an ADVERT IN A PAPER,OR ON A RADIO STATION,has with the outcome of whether PARLIAMENTARIANS WHO WILL VOTE ON GREYHOUND RACINGS EXISTENCE, NOT THE PUBLIC ONE IOTA. yes they may get an email of support, BUT IT IS NOT THE PUBLIC WHO MAKES THE FINAL DECISION.… Read more »

BJoe
BJoe
7 years ago

dogem53

totally agree with what you say.

BJoe
BJoe
7 years ago

JeffWhite4

It can also be said that your claim about how many dogs are ‘wasted’ is also misleading.  You haven’t got the figures Jeff so don’t go round making whacky claims.

Deborah555
Deborah555
7 years ago

dogem53  I am not sure which GDATA reference you are referring to – I think Brenton and the GBOTA have done a marvellous job – maybe the trolls are over there causing trouble they seem to have disappeared from here lately. The tantrums are all about Baird’s ego he is coping criticism from everyone including traditional supporters. He has to win and he does not care who he takes down to do it. Baird thought he could just make the call and now he has discovered it is not going to be as easy as he thought. Yes obviously didn’t… Read more »

Deborah555
Deborah555
7 years ago

dogem53  PS he is starting to try to convince the public because he is worried about how many people are emailing their local members and these members must be worrying about their chances of re-election and putting pressure on him. That’s my two theories I will leave the rest to a better authority over to you John.

dogem53
dogem53
7 years ago

everyone listen carefully to this. very carefully. JOHN, can you explain the role of the GOVERNMENT WHIP? SO,IT IS NOT ABOUT THE WELFARE ISSUES AT ALL…….ITS DISTRIBUTION OF FINANCES FROM TAB ETC; AA NOW CHALLENGE VINCE ALL YOU LIKE,VERIFY IT BY AUDIENCING WITH THE GOVERNMENT WHIP…………LISTEN VERY CLOSELY DAVE/JEFF/AARON. and it all fits in because the HORSE INDUSRTY wasteage on a ratio basis in comparison with greyhound racing IS WAY WORSE,WAY WORSE. SO NOW BAIRD IS OBVIOUSLY SACRIFICING GREYHOUND RACING FOR BOTH HORSE CODES FOR AN OBVIOUS CORRUPTION GAIN……..TO SUIT WHOM? THE TAPE OF V’LANDY’s EXPRESSING THAT 2 MONTHS BEFORE… Read more »

Deborah555
Deborah555
7 years ago

dogem53  Yes I didn’t realise quite the importance of the tab turnover until I started to read Jason Caley’s posts and then it twigged just how important it was.  More evidence really that this is class warfare. I still think Wentworth park land values and Baird’s need for support of the greens and of course his out of control ego are still all part of this decision.

lone widow
lone widow
7 years ago

Deborah555 dogem53 The coalition partners must now realize that by supporting Baird on the closure of the greyhound industry that he will bring them all down with him. Just knew it was about money.

Like to be a fly on the wall.

Deborah555
Deborah555
7 years ago

lone widow Deborah555 dogem53  Lets hope they are worried enough about their seats to do something about him

dogem53
dogem53
7 years ago

Deborah555 dogem53 DEB, it was known months ago RNSW was in financial strife,and still is. after rebuilding the ROSEHILL CIRCUIT at huge costs,when they could not afford it mind you,it was written-up that they were in real strife.they were questioned time and time again why reconstruct when finance was not there? rumors were abounding the ARABS were in the background(recall BAIRD being queried of his connection to two brothers and there  ARAB families at the time) so maybe SOME PAYBACK IN THE FORM OF A PARTICULAR PIECE OF REAL ESTATE,is repayment???? that was documented back then,but with this upheaval of evidence,there… Read more »

John Tracey
John Tracey
7 years ago

Deborah555 dogem53 Great Question, you asked for opinion so I will give the facts that I think are relevant. My overview is that the alliance group is correct in what they are doing but it is very expensive exercise and if I had a comment to make I would say need to collect funds quickly. The Overseas posters who are supporting Grey2k have assessed the situation correctly in my view, with the following comment. “Social licence is not a legal concept but a political, social, and moral one. It is properly a matter to be applied by elected legislators in forming… Read more »

Deborah555
Deborah555
7 years ago

dogem53 Deborah555  The subtle shift by the party whip away from “wastage” to money might also be because the horse set realise that using wastage as a justification for banning the industry leaves them even more open for attack by the AA and I am sure they have pointed that out to their local members as well or probably some-one much higher in the Members stand. I thought it was common knowledge the greyhound turnover subsided the horses and has for a very long time. I didn’t know about the Rosehill affair though thanks. Whatever the reason it smells like class… Read more »

John Tracey
John Tracey
7 years ago

Deborah555 dogem53 Sorry I did not get to the edit fast enough. The point I was making with the previous matters leading to the racing industry selling the TAB to the shareholder company was that the critic participants alleged that the bad deal was done by the greyhound industry in house in conjunction with the Government GRA control board. I would dispute this but would agree that the whole of the transfer was done in house by the Government (they actually boasted about it in the parliament debates. Why Victoria got a better deal was the deal was done by independent… Read more »

dogem53
dogem53
7 years ago

who is STEVEN BROMHEAD MP.

an insight to the gent,or MP, that VINCE CASSAR DEBATED WITH ON THAT RECORDING.

INTERESTING EXERT FROM ABOVE;

Stephen is the founder of the Manning/Great Lakes Traffic Offenders Program. This program aims to not only educate drivers referred to it from Court, but also to change their behaviour. Since the introduction of the course there has been a marked reduction in driver recidivism.

NOTE…..”TO CHANGE THEIR BEHAVIOUR”…….

so, even the MP BROMHEAD, sees that some things need REFORMING,and firmly believes that change can be successful!!!!

dogem53
dogem53
7 years ago

would the illustrious BROMHEAD,MP also that is possible in the reformation of greyhound racing? is he the only MP who sees this? as an EXPERT(LOL) ON REFORMATION,one would/should watch closely his responses if/when asked CAN GREYHOUNDS BE FEFORMED? amazing how snippets spoken can be used as weapons for seeking the real mind and its real thoughts. no offence to BROMHEAD MP, but if you smell a skunk,do you turn your nose up, or do you seek where it is and move it away from being the offensive smell tickling your nose? ask a simple question in parliament……….WHO THINKS GREYHOUND RACING… Read more »

Deborah555
Deborah555
7 years ago

John Tracey Deborah555 dogem53  Thanks John another informative and great read. Brention is doing us proud isn’t he along with the rest of the team at GBOTA.

As for sympathy for the fall guys you are of course a much more gracious person than myself – I think if you sell your soul to the devil -you can wear the consequences.

John Tracey
John Tracey
7 years ago

Deborah555 John Tracey dogem53 If you have been to hell and back you can be destroyed or learn from your experience. I think that they might be dancing with the devil and we all know where that ends

lone widow
lone widow
7 years ago

Deborah555 lone widow dogem53  Yes it’s obvious it’s about the money. I do think the industry is making a huge mistake by focusing on welfare as the main issue, it’s a diversion in my opinion, it’s what Baird wants us to focus on.

For me alone (with my greyhounds) sitting in my little house thinking about what has happened it’s about freedom. 

I have lost a basic constitutional freedom.

BobWhitelaw
BobWhitelaw
7 years ago

Deborah555 dogem53 Don’t forget he has the support of the Animal Justice Party  in the Upper House  who support Beastiality, and that’s the only vote Baird needs to push his agenda through  and if you notice he has been quite as a church mouse,  as Baird said to him, sit quite and  look after my balance of POWER ! Its a pity the NATS don’t the Guts to cross the floor and save their jobs, at the  end of the day they are all only mongrel breed bastards.

Deborah555
Deborah555
7 years ago

lone widow Deborah555 dogem53  Yes it is wrong and I am grateful to have been allowed to spend so much of my life with these beautiful creatures -something Baird wants to deprive others of, as well as their income, reputation, the last bit of joy, passion and social connection they have. Seems the prick is too busy figuring out ways to add sneaky charges on insurance, registration and how to deprive people of the ability to pay their electricity bills etc etc etc. than anything about the good of the state.

lone widow
lone widow
7 years ago

Deborah555 lone widow dogem53 Deborah,  I do not have a law degree, just a laymans mind playing tricks on me so please don’t reply to this if you think i am just being fanciful. I just can’t get past this, it’s been bothering me for a while.  In the late 1960’s early 70’s the coal mine owners in the Burragorang Valley in NSW tried to cut the wages and bonuses of the miners.  The bonuses were simply danger money by another name which underground coal miners have always received. To cut a long story short it went to court and the mine… Read more »

Deborah555
Deborah555
7 years ago

lone widow Deborah555 dogem53  Sounds like a pretty valid argument to me Lone Widow but unfortunately we have a Premier who appears to be acting as though the law means nothing and he is God taking advice from people who appear to be, well, wack jobs.

Deborah555
Deborah555
7 years ago

lone widow dogem53  PS he even has the audacity to use a retired high court judge who made 79 recommendations about how to keep the industry going- in his campaign to get his own way- just using the first recommendation and letting this learned man cop the flak while Stevie boy Rushton is hiding out letting the Judge wear the criticism. Disgraceful behaviour. No I have not seen much respect for the law in this campaign.

Deborah555
Deborah555
7 years ago

BobWhitelaw Deborah555 dogem53  Yes selling your soul to some-one who  allegedly thinks it is ok to know animals in the biblical sense is a bit of a worry to say the least. These “independents” pushing their own personal obsessions are damaging democracy, hiding behind a love of animals, to push their own fanatical views and unmet needs for power and control of others and a nice fat tax free pension to the end of your days.

lone widow
lone widow
7 years ago

Deborah555 lone widow dogem53 I don’t think the judge is the fool everyone thinks he is.  He has seen the treachery behind what Baird is trying to do.  He has spent 15 months formulating the report.  You don’t do that and leave all the loopholes that he has.

The good judge could be an ally.

John Tracey
John Tracey
7 years ago

If a Government whip is giving out information it means that he is under the instruction of the Premier. The most likely explanation is that the Premier is feeling the heat and wants to deflect the greyhounds off the main game (keeping in) The talk on finance fair share etc is to make the horses oppose us for financial reasons. The whip may be a nice bloke but he is picked because of his loyalty to the established order. The whip is the most unlikely member to give you a lift up but the extraordinary mistakes being made by Government… Read more »

Deborah555
Deborah555
7 years ago

John Tracey  A journalist from the Australian alleged the party whip was one of the people who had spoken out against the ban in one of their meetings, maybe Baird is putting him in his place by making him face the greyhound people he was too gutless to front the demonstrators himself. Baird appears to be happy to blame and use anyone including his own staffers for his total lack of judgement and to protect his ego.

John Tracey
John Tracey
7 years ago

Deborah555 John Tracey It is an interesting choice for the greyhound participant group addressing a Government whip against there industry. I take proposals to the parliament with parties who are on side and the whips usually distribute the instrument. The Government whip has the Myall Lake electorate which does not have greyhound racecourses in it. His question in parliament asked by the whip have been Dorothy Dix’s which is the role of the whip as well. The whips role is (cut and paste) Whips are the party’s “enforcers”, who typically offer inducements and threaten party members to ensure that they participate according… Read more »